IND Vs ENG, 4th Test: Five Takeaways From India's Draw At Old Trafford

The fourth Test of Anderson-Tendulkar trophy between India and England at Old Trafford ended in a dramatic draw, after Indian batters showed grit and determination to hold England. While the match lacked the high-intensity drama of earlier encounters, Day 5 turned into a statistical spectacle as several records were shattered and milestones achieved.

Here’s a detailed look at the highlights from the Test and the series so far.

Gill’s Historic Series

Shubman Gill continued his stellar form, becoming only the third captain to score four hundreds in a Test series, equalling legends like Sunil Gavaskar (1978-79) and Don Bradman (1947-48). Gill’s 722 runs in this series are the second-most by any Indian in a single series, behind only Gavaskar’s 774 in 1970. He also became the joint-most centurion in a series in England, alongside Bradman (1930).

Gill’s partnership of 188 runs with KL Rahul for the third wicket set a new record for the highest third-wicket stand after being 0/2, surpassing the previous best of 105 by Amarnath and Viswanath in 1977.

Rahul’s Remarkable Run

KL Rahul has been in top form, aggregating 511 runs in the series – the first visiting opener to breach the 500-run mark in England since Graeme Smith’s 714 in 2003. Among Indian openers, only Gavaskar (542 in 1979) has scored more in a series in England.

Jadeja’s Unique Feat

Ravindra Jadeja’s second-innings century and his 9 fifty-plus scores in England, all coming at No. 6 or lower, place him alongside the great Garfield Sobers, who also has nine. Jadeja now has 1000-plus runs and 34 wickets in England – a rare double achieved by only two other visiting players: Sobers and Wilfred Rhodes.

A Batting Series For The Ages

• India recorded seven 350-plus totals in this series – the most by any team in a single Test series.

• This is also the first series where India have crossed 300 on seven occasions.

• Three centurions (Gill, Jadeja, Sundar) in the second innings of the Manchester Test marked another first for India.

A total of 12 batters scored centuries in this series, equalling the record for most centurions in a single series (previously seen in Australia’s 1955 tour of the West Indies). Of the 18 centuries in this series, 11 have come from India, their joint-most alongside the 1978-79 home series against West Indies.

Left-Handed Dominance

Five left-handed Indian batters – Yashasvi Jaiswal, B Sai Sudharsan, Pant, Sundar, and Jadeja – registered fifties in the same Test, something that has happened only once before in cricket history.

India’s Grit At Old Trafford

The draw extended India’s winless streak at Old Trafford, where they have now played 10 matches without a win – their longest such streak at a single venue. It was also one of only two draws for England under Brendon McCullum’s coaching era, the other being against Australia at Old Trafford in 2023.

India batted for five wicketless sessions of 20-plus overs, a feat matched by only one other side since 2014 (Pakistan vs Australia in 2022 at Rawalpindi).